D.C.’s VA hospital pursuing ER expansion

The Washington, D.C., Veterans Affairs Medical Center is looking to expand its emergency department in the face of increasing patient volumes. The project, to be considered at the National Capital Planning Commission’s Dec. 6 meeting,…

The Washington, D.C., Veterans Affairs Medical Center is looking to expand its emergency department in the face of increasing patient volumes.

The project, to be considered at the National Capital Planning Commission’s Dec. 6 meeting, would include construction of a 5,100-square-foot addition and renovation of nearly 10,000 square feet, according to the proposal. The expansion would bring the department’s total size to more than 15,000 square feet, with a one-story addition above a loading dock next to the hospital.

Specifically, the project would:

Increase the department’s 11 treatment spaces and patient exam spaces to 24 rooms, including three urgent care exam rooms (the existing 11 beds have served the emergency room’s acute patients for a decade)
Add administrative spaces for staff
Add a secure treatment area for mental health patients
Add three control stations for doctors and nurses for different purposes; for instance, a station for patients requiring more monitoring (i.e.…